THOUSANDS of primary school kids will get free breakfasts from next April, Rachel Reeves announced today.
The Chancellor used her Labour conference speech to unveil the launch date for the flagship schools policy.
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Under the plan, every primary school child in England will be eligible for free breakfast clubs before class – paid for by imposing VAT on private schools.
Ms Reeves revealed today that the first 750 primary schools will receive the clubs funding from April ahead of a wider national rollout.
She has given Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson a £7million cash boost to kick off the policy.
Addressing the Liverpool conference, the Chancellor said: “I will judge my time in office a success if I know that at the end of it there are working-class kids from ordinary backgrounds who lead richer lives, their horizons expanded and have the chance to thrive.
“That starts by taking the first step to deliver on our manifesto commitment to introduce free breakfast clubs in every primary school across England.
“With funding set aside to begin running free breakfast clubs in up to 750 primary schools with primary aged pupils next year ahead of a national rollout that will follow.
“This is about investing in education so we can invest in our economy too.
“Investing in the next generation so we can proudly say that they have had a chance to do better than those which came before it.
“The work of change has begun. The British people put their trust in Labour – and we will repay that trust.”
Ms Reeves also vowed not to “duck the difficult decisions” in a bid to square the winter fuel cut with angry Labour members.
Delivering her party conference speech, the Chancellor braced Brits for a tough Budget next month – warning: “The road ahead is harder and steeper than we expected.”
Her decision to strip winter fuel payments from 10 million pensioners has been the subject of fierce debate at the Liverpool get-together.
Unions, campaigners and even Labour MPs have railed against the move to means-test the £200-£300 cold-weather sum.
Seeking to calm the backlash, Ms Reeves told the audience: “I made the choice to means test the winter fuel payment, to target it at those most in need.
“I know that not everyone – in this hall, or in the country – will agree with every decision I make.
“But I will not duck those decisions. Not for political expediency. Not for personal advantage.
“Faced with that £22 billion black hole that the Conservatives left this year and with the triple lock ensuring that the state pension will rise by an estimated £1,700 over this Parliament, I judged it the right decision, in the circumstances we inherited.”
In her speech – briefly interrupted by a heckler – Ms Reeves repeatedly blamed Tory “recklessness” for the tough decisions coming in the October 30 Budget.
While ruling out hikes to income tax, VAT, National Insurance and corporation tax, other raids are expected.